2-deoxy-D-glucose is useful in control of respiratory infections and for application as an antiviral agent for treatment of human genital herpes.
Prior art for preparation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose while operable, tend to be expensive and time consuming. Reference may be made to Bergmann M., Schotte, H., Lechinsky, W., Ber, 55, 158 (1922) and Bergmann, M., Schotte, H., Lechinsky, W., Ber 56, 1052 (1923) which disclose the preparation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in low yield by mineral acid catalyzed addition of water to D-glucal. Another method of producing 2-deoxy-D-glucose is from diethyldithioacetal derivative of D-glucose (Bolliger, H. R. Schmid, M. D., Helv. Chim. Acta 34, 989 (1951); Bolliger, H. R., Schmid, M. D., Helv, Chim. Acta 34, 1597 (1951); Bolliger, H. R Schmid, M. D., Helv. Chim. Acta 34, 1671 (1951) and from D-arabinose by reaction with nitromethane followed by acetylation, reduction and hydrolysis (Sowden, J. C., Fisher, H. O. L., J. Am. Chem., 69, 1048 (1947). However these methods result in the formation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in low yield and of inferior purity due to the formation of several by-products and involve use of toxic reagents such as ethanethiol and nitromethane. As a result purification of 2-deoxy-D-glucose has to be done by recrystallisation which is tedious, time consuming and difficult.
Accordingly it is important to develop a process for synthesis of 2-deoxy-D-glucose which obviates the drawbacks as detailed above and results in good yield and good purity.